Today is my birthday. I’m skipping regular DMotR. There is a reason for this.

The first pic is not a photoshop. I was stepping through the movie looking for suitable screencaps, and this frame just jumped out at me. Gandalf just rode by these guys, but here is this moment where it looks like he stopped to drop a few coppers on the doorward.

The second shot is a notorious moment from the movies, where aging Denethor jumps up, runs upstairs, and then sprints the length of a football field while on fire.

And Denethor was the second-most fucked-over charakter in the movie adaptation, behind Gimli but close before Faramir. Only a butcher like Jackson with the grace, style and niveau of a spoiled 11-year-old could have turned a desperate, bitter but ultimately noble and great man into a despisable, stupid, spiteful wretch of a man with manners to shame an orc… *chokesonhisownrage*

Feliz cumpleanos! Many happy returns, sir! Now, stop just sitting around claiming it’s your birthday and get back to the comic, dammit! ;) (Enjoy your break, dude. With the regular schedule you keep and the recent surgery, I believe a respite is due. Have a slice o’ cake for me!)

In the words of Richard Pryor, “When you run down the street and you’re on fire, folks will get out of your way.” Seriously, I hated the way they changed Denethor’s death in the movie. Especially since it was such a cool scene in the book, what with the revelation of the Palantir of Minas Anor and all. I’m also of the opinion that Denethor should have been played by Patrick Stewart.

Happy birthday, Shamus. I’ve been along for the ride almost since the beginning, when Steven Den Beste linked to DMotR from his blog last September (?). I must say, I’ve enjoyed your comics immensely and I’ll be kind of sad when this comes to an end.

I think you all misunderstood Jackson’s approach to the character in your rush to condemn his version of Denethor. He actually repented at the end there after he was knocked into the pyre, and realized that he just had moments left of his life, so he did the most he could for the war effort by jumping while flaming into the enemy. I think Jackson’s editing failed him there – they forgot to include the shot of Denethor landing with a smile in that group of surprised orcs.

Dm: Ok, roll on the Age chart
Shamus: *Rolls*
Dm: Your now one year older, your birthday is today.
Shmaus: Sweet! New armour and weapons off the teammates!
Dm: *Rolls* A cake apears out of no-where.
Shamus: I love dice on my Birthday.

Interestingly, there was a perfectly serviceable pool of water that he RAN RIGHT BY in his rush to fulfill Peter Jackson’s vision. They even mention how they purposely did some creative editing of his death scene. Otherwise it would’ve taken something like a full minute for him to reach that jump-off point. Could you imagine it? A full minute of on-screen burning screaming guy just running? That’s multiple breaths. And RIGHT BY THE POOL OF WATER.

My least favorite Denethor scene was actually the intercut extreme close-ups of him eating his lunch while the battle at Osgiliath was raging. It was such a beautiful scene with Pippin’s song and all, but the shots of Denethor ripping apart his chicken wings or whatever thoroughly ruined it for me. I got naseous. It was disgusting. :’P

Happy Birthday Shamus. And good catches, the Gandalf one is funny, and I think we all agree on how ridiculous the “fire run” is. You mentioned it several times already, and it bears mentioning several more.

Although ironically, it would work in D&D. Assuming he ran 100 yards, he ran 300 feet. A human is speed 30 in D&D and can run 120 feet as a full round action, or 150 with the run feat. That means that Denethor takes 3d6 damage without run, or 2d6 with run, at an average of 10.5(11) and 7. Assuming he is an old fighter with the elite array, he has a constitution of 10. At 1st level he can survive with run, but will die without it, eventually. At 2nd level he should be fine.

Three objections;
1. He ran far further than 100 yards. He wasn’t in the palace at the back of the spire, he was in the graveyard deep within/on the other side of the mountain.
2. He wasn’t a fighter. A level 1 aristocrat would only have ~5 hp, down to 4 with a con penalty for age. If level 2, he would have twice that, of course.
3. It would have taken several minutes minimum to reach the edge he threw himself off at the speed he was traveling. That’s over 20d6 damage, not 2d6.

Tom wrote:
“My least favorite Denethor scene was actually the intercut extreme close-ups of him eating his lunch while the battle at Osgiliath was raging. It was such a beautiful scene with Pippin's song and all, but the shots of Denethor ripping apart his chicken wings or whatever thoroughly ruined it for me. I got naseous. It was disgusting.”

Ah, but did it not emphasise the movie Denethor’s character perfectly? A friend once surmised to me that Denethor and Theoden (in the books) are two sides of the same coin: both lost a son, but where Denethor despaired, Theoden turned hopeful. They really brought that part of Denethor out in the movies.

The scene you describe is definitely one of the most memorable scenes, and probably my favourite from that third of the trilogy! :)